I don't expect too much of Hollywood thrillers these days. They're too formulaic, too predictable, too tame, too Ashley Juddy and Morgan Freemany. Every time I watch one, it feels like I've already seen it. They have the same plots, the same twists, the same cops and bad guys. But I love the genre, so I keep going back.

I'd read a couple of good things about Mr. Brooks, but really didn't expect much from Mr. America 1988 aka Kevin Costner, the botoxed Demi Moore and pseudo-comedian turned hack-actor Dane Cook. Maybe it was my low expectations, but I thoroughly enjoyed this film. For a modern Hollywood thriller to keep me engaged, not ask me to switch my brain off every 3 minutes, and actually still make sense by the last twist; it's a minor miracle.

What worked best for me about this film was William Hurt playing Mr. Brooks evil-conscience. He sits in the back seat of the car, suggesting nasty things for them to do. Costner's Brooks wants to be a good upstanding man, and when we first meet him, he's receiving Man of the Year honors from the Portland Chamber of Commerce. He's a good husband and father, a successful business, and has been able to curb his murderous tendencies for the past few years. But apparently Hurt's Brooks has had his eye on a particular victim, the old urges win out, and the serial-murder known as the Finger Print Killer goes back to work. He's a little rusty though, and kills a young couple in front of a wide open window.

His sloppiness soon comes to haunt him in the form of Dane Cook's Mr. Smith, who blackmails Brooks with some photographs of the murder scene. But Smith doesn't want money, he wants a taste of murder and forces Brooks to take him out with him on his next kill. This is really the meat of the film, I love how Brooks takes Smith under his twisted wing and shows him how a professional serial killer works, all the while playing a sadistic cat and mouse game. Writer/Director Bruce Evans even manages to get a decent performance out of Cook. He has an important role, and if his Mr. Smith doesn't work, the film fails. There's also a decent subplot about Brooks' daughter possibly being a serial killer herself. The weakest link is Demi Moore's on-the-edge detective. (Is there any other kind?) She's not that bad, just cliche'd, and there's a fairly useless storyline about her bastard ex-husband, that slows down the film.

Overall the film really works; it's well made, nicely shot and edited, and competently directed and acted. Most importantly the screenplay works, it doesn't dumb things down, or have twists that come out of nowhere to ruin the film. William Hurt and Kevin Costner are great together as the two sides of Brooks' ego. Mr. Brooks is the rare, modern Hollywood thriller that doesn't make you feel stupider for watching. - Grade: B (Seen on 7/3/08)

In my opinion this is the best movie of the year. (Of what I've seen up to this point.) It was emotionally engaging, gorgeously photographed, and extremely well acted; really top-notch in all filmmaking aspects. Sean Penn has stepped it up as a filmmaker, and I'm excited to see what he'll do as a director in the future. That's not the way I felt after his last two films; The Pledge and The Crossing Guard.

I think the main thing holding it back from being universally loved, is that not everyone can relate to Christopher McCandless. I've read and heard quite a few people calling him an idiot, and writing it off there. Which, I can sort of agree with on his being so unprepared to go into the Alaskan wilderness; but his journey up to that point, I completely respect.

When I was in my early twenties, I too wanted to drop out of society, travel the world and see what it brings. Really learn about who I am. And part of me still regrets not doing that before I had responsibilities that tied me down. I wouldn't have gone so far as to throw away all my money and then ultimately go into wild Alaska with little more than a sleeping bag and a .22 rifle.

But watching his travels around the U.S., meeting all kinds of different people and picking up work where you could, really got me going. I haven't had a chance to read the Jon Krakauer novel yet, but I plan to now that I loved the movie so much. I want to know more about his adventure.

One of my favorite aspects of the film was that Penn and crew shot on location in most of the places that Christopher went. After the film is over, you feel like you've taken a journey across the country. It's all beautifully captured in a documentary style, so it's like you're right there with him on his journey of self-discovery.

Emile Hirsch is wonderful a Christopher, he's completely believable, a star-making performance. And it was great to see some veteran actors show up in the supporting roles, I especially liked Catherine Keener as the old hippie who becomes a surrogate mother for Christopher. Vince Vaughn is fun in his small role as a farmer who employs him for a short time. William Hurt and Marcia Gay Harden are devastating as his normal-seeming, but abusive parents.

Eddie Vedder's score is beautiful; it's a bit invasive at times, that's my only real complaint about the film, that Penn leaned on it for some of the emotional impact; but for the most part it plays with the film perfectly. Into the Wild is an all around wonderful film.